Shirt



April25,1939.A MWGRSBY 2,155,706

SHIRT Filed May 5, 1958 Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIRT Marion W. Grigsby, Chicago, Ill..

Application May 5, 1938, Serial No. 206,106

3 Claims.

This invention relates to shirts or more particularly to culi constructions for shirts. For many years it has been recognized that the collars and cuis of shirts get soiled more quickly than the remainder of the shirt. Detachable collars and cuffs were once almost universal. For various reasons including the inconvenience of bothering with the detachable collars and cuffs or with collar buttons and culi buttons, shirts with attached collars and cuis have now become much more common. This invention is primlarily concerned with attached cuffs, though in some of itsaspects it applies to detachable cuffs as well.

When the cuffs extend slightly beyond the coat sleeve as they should according to present style, or when a coat is not worn, the cuffs become soiled more quickly than the collar with the result that the length of time that a shirt can be worn and its degree of neatness at any time depend on the cuffs. Quite often, at the end of a days work when a man is going out to dinner and has no chance to change his shirt he will find that his cuffs are quite soiled, although his shirt is otherwise suciently clean. Even the old expedient of removable cuifs would not remedy this difliculty unless he had some clean cuis at hand. According to the present invention, however, the difficulty is completely overcome by a cuff construction which permits a man to fold the cuff diierently so as to present a fresh portion of the cuff to view and to hide the portion which was soiled. It is of course well known that the portion of the cuff which is ordinarily soiled is only the lower edge of the cuff or the portion immediately adjacent thereto.

An object of the invention is accordingly to provide an attached cuff of a construction which will permit its being folded in two different ways in order to present two different surfaces to View.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a cuff which will have the appearance of an ordinary cuff in at least one of its positions and which preferably will appear similar to an ordinary cuff, and be neat looking, in its other position.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cuff of Fig. 1 folded in its alternative position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention in the position corresponding to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of still another modification of the invention in which a French type of cuff is constructed to fold to two different heights, the lower height being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the construction of Fig. 4 showing the arrangements of buttonholes and a button which may be optionally provided.

Although this invention may take numerous forms, only a few have been chosen for illustration. The form which is most nearly like the shirt now most commonly used is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this form the shirt sleeve II has sewn thereto a cuff I2 which is of the form known as the barrel type. This means that the ends of the cuff overlap and the button I3 is on the outside of the cuff so that when it is buttoned throughr the buttonhole Id the cuff will form a simple band of the type shown in Fig. 3 as distinguished from the French type of cuff shown in Fig. 4 in which the ends are in registry and in a back to back position. However, when this cuff is closed in the normal position, it may be indistinguishable from the conventional cuff. With a cuff such as this people who are working with their coats off often turn the cuff up and hold it up either with a rubber band or paper clip or the like. The appearance of any such fastening means is of course unsatisfactory.

According to the present invention a pair of buttonholes I6 and II are provided in the sleeve above the cuff, preferably in the reinforcements I8 of the split of the sleeve. The buttonholes I6 and I'I are placed immediately above the button I3 and the buttonhole I4 respectively so that when the cuff is turned up the button I3 may be buttoned through the buttonhole Il?, through the buttonhole I'I, and nally through the buttonhole I4 to present the appearance shown in Fig. 2. For the sake of appearance it is preferred that the cuff itself be folded rather than that the entire cuff be turned up and the shirt folded above the cuff. This of course means that the width of the cuff in Fig. 2 will appear to be less than the cuff in Fig. 1. For this reason the cuff in Fig. 1 is preferably made slightly longer lengthwise of the sleeve than conventional cuffs, but not noticeably so. The result is that the cuff in Fig. 2 will be only slightly shorter than conventional cuifs, but not noticeably so. For this reason it is also preferred that the shirt sleeve II extend only slightly beyond the top line of stitches I9 in the cuff by which the cui is secured to the sleeve.

Some people may prefer to use cuff links instead of the button I3 especially when the cuff is folded up as in Fig. 2 since in this position it has the appearance of a French cuff, in which cuff links are commonly used. To permit the use of such cuff links, a buttonhole 2| may be provided. Since itis desirable that both the button I3 and the buttonhole 2| shall aline themselves with the buttonholes I6, I1 and I4, the button I3 and the buttonhole 2| must be put quite close together. It is preferred that the buttonhole be vertically positioned so that when the cuff is closed in the ordinary way such buttonhole will be completely hidden. Since this buttonhole is shown in a vertical position, the others are also vertically disposed although that is not necessary.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of the invention in which the buttonhole 2 I is horizontal. In this instance in order to hide this buttonhole 2| when the cuff is buttoned in the normal position shown in Fig. 3a second button 23 is provided which is positioned beyond the buttonhole 2| toward the central portion of the cuff. This increases the overlap of the two ends of the cuff so that the buttonhole 2| is completely hidden as is Ythe button I3. The button I3 is alined with the buttonhole I6 with the result that when the cuff is foldedupwardly the button I3 is used, buttoning successively through buttonholes I6, I1 and I4. With this arrangement the cui I2 will usually be made longer from end to end than conventional barrel type cuffs so that its circumferential length, when closed with the greater overlap, will be the same as when the conventional cuff is closed with a minimum overlap. Unless the circumferences of the cuffs I2 and I2 are made a little longer than is conventional, they might be slightly tighter than desired when folded up to the position of Fig. 2 and hence hard to button. With the cuff I2' normally longer than conventional it can be conveniently fitted to the arm above the Wrist when folded to a position corresponding to Fig. 2. Ordinarily the arm is somewhat thicker above the wrist than at the wrist, which is normally encircled by the cuff. As a matter of fact, it is desirable that the form shown in Fig. l be somewhat longer in circumference than conventional cuffs, or, specifically, that it be sufficiently long so that even in the position shown in Fig. 2 it may be buttoned easily. However, with the construction of Fig. 1, there will still be a saving in length over the structure of Fig. 3, and hence` an economy as to material required.

With either cui a button may be provided on the shirt sleeve in a position to button through the buttonhole I1 when the cuff is closed in its normal or lower position. Such a button is often provided at the present time in order to hold the split or vent closed and to hold the cuff in the proper shape. Likewise, whenever the shirt is provided for a person who does not prefer to use a cuff link, the extra buttonhole 2| or 2| may be omitted. Likewise, the buttons I3 and 23 could be omitted for anyone who prefers to use a cui link at all times.

Figs. 4 and 5 show the solution of the problem of a soiled cuff in the fold-over type'of cuif, which is normally closed in the French style as seen in Fig. 4. This embodiment of the invention provides a neat simple cui which may be Vsecured at its two ends in either one of two positions by means of a cuff link, or as illustrated in the position of Fig. 5, by means of a button on the cuff itself. In this form of cuff the outer half of the cuff may be conventional, being provided merely with a single buttonhole 3| on each end of the cuff. The inner half or fold of the cui,

' however, is provided with two buttonholes 32 and 33. The cuff may be folded either in the upper position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, in which case the cui link 34, if used, passes through the holes 3| and the upper holes 33, or the cuff may be folded in the lower position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, in which case the cui link 34 is passed through the holes 3| and the lower holes 32. It is preferred that a button 35 be provided on the inside of the outer fold of the cui adjacent the buttonhole 3| on the inside end of the cuff s0 that a person not desiring to bother with a cuff link may use the button 35, which will pass through either buttonholes 33 or buttonholes 32 and through the other buttonhole 3| so as to be exposed on the outer side of the cuff. It will be understood of course that the outer side of the cuff is the more prominent as indicated by the fact that the old style cuff links are decorated on their outer ends but not on their inner ends.

vIt will be evident of course that the button 35 may be omitted for those who never expect to want it, or the buttonhole 3| adjacent thereto may be omitted for those who never Want to close the cuff with a cu link.

As in Figs. 1 to 3 the cuff of Figs. 4 and 5 is Apreferably so proportioned that in one positionI it is slightly longer than conventional cuffs and in the other position slightly shorter so that the difference from the conventional cuff will not be noticeable in either position. It will be observed that the difference in length between the short they be within the cuif proper instead of above-w the cuff for the purpose of strength and since the inner fol-d of the cuff cannot extend much higher than it has been illustrated inasmuch as it must never extend above the outer fold, as when such outer fold is in the extended or dotted line position of Fig. 4. This form of the invention is preferred, except from the standpoint of the present popularity of the barrel type cuff, because the difference in the total sleeve length is so slight with the two` positions. of the cuff. Although this form of the invention has been illustrated as an attached cuff, it could be a detachable cuff since it is evident that with either of the folded positions the button or cuff link could extend through the holes of the cuff band of the shirt as well as through the holes of the cuff to secure the cui to the shirt.

It will be understood that with all forms of the cuff illustrated the cuff will ordinarily be worn rst in the upper position so that when a clean edge is require-d the cuff can be lowered and the soiled edge thereof completely hidden. It should also be not-ed that the buttons, whenever they are to pass through a plurality of buttonholes, should be attached loosely, i. e., by relatively long strands of thread so that the thickness of the plurality of buttonholes will not unduly strain the threads securing the button.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have provi-ded a plurality of forms of shirt sleeve and cuff combinations in which the cuff may be worn in an upper position until soiled and then lowered to hide the soiled edge completely. Furthermore,

is more likely to be used on a more formal occasion as at dinner at the close of a working day, has the appearance of a conventional cuff. Likewise, in all forms of the invention the upper position of the cui is quite neat and is at least fairly similar in appearance to conventional cuffs.

'Ihe disclosures of this application are illustrative and the invention is not to be limited by them. In fact, if modifications or improvements are not at once obvious, they may be devised in the course of time to make additional use of the broad ideas taught and covered by this application. The claims are intended to point out novel features and not to limit the invention except as may be required by prior art.

I claim:

l. A shirt including a shirt sleeve split at its end, and a barrel-type split cuff secured to the end of the sleeve with the split in the culi corresponding to the split in the sleeve, with said cuff having a button at one end and a button-hole at the other end for receiving said button to close the cuif in a barrel formation, a pair of button holes in the sleeve with one on each side thereof adjacent the split in the sleeve and oppositely positioned with said cuff in folded position having the button and button-hole in said cuff in registry with the pair of button-holes in the sleeve whereby said button is inserted through the pair yof sleeve button-holes and through said cuff buttonhole to provide a normal appearing French-type cuff.

2. A shirt sleeve having a cuff portion adapted to be worn either as a barrel type or a Frenchtype cuff, said sleeve including an arm portion split at its end and a split cui portion extending therefrom, said arm portion having a button hole on each side of the split, and said cuif portion having a button on one side of the split and a button-hole on the other side of the split cooperating with said button to secure the cuff portion in a barrel type formation, and with said button and button-hole in said cuff portion registering With said button holes in said arm portion and cooperating therewith to secure said culi' portion in folded position over said arm portion in a French type formation.

3. A shirt including a shirt sleeve having',r an arm portion split at its end, and having a cuff portion at the split end correspondingly split, said cui portion having a button secured thereto at one side of the split and a cooperating buttonhole at the other side of the split lto receive said button and close the cuff in a barrel-type formation, a button-hole in the arm portion on each side of the split therein and with such buttonholes spaced vertically in the arm portion from the cuif portion, with said cuff portion in folded position having said button and button-hole in said cuff portion in registry with said arm portion, button-holes whereby said button passes through all of said button-holes to secure said cuif portion over the arm portion in a French type formation, and a button-hole centered adjacent said button in said culi' portion whereby a cuff-link may be used alternately with said button to `pass through said two arm portion button-holes and said two cuff portion buttonholes to secure said cuff portion over the arm portion in the French type formation.

MARION W. GRIGSBY. 

